Outide of the Christmas show when is the organ played? Also Geoffrey what are the years you are talking about with a 99 cents admission.
The early 60’s?
By the way people were extolling The Producers as a possible holiday film(my personal learned opinion would be yuck)but the new Zorro seems like it would have been a nice choice. The right star power, costumes, set design and rating. Sight unseen it might have complemented very nicely a Leonidoff or Markert Christmas show.
Well allow me my dreams.
Was there a Thanksgiving film in ‘57 or did Pajama game as an end of summer film run long enough so that Les Girls played until December and there was in effect only one fall film?
I wonder if the Hall got complaints from parents concerning Sayanora as a Christmas film I mean not only the sex and suicide but miscnegation as well. But then I believe that Peyton Place was the Roxy Christmas attraction.
Good post however I do take issue with the developer completely obliterating the wonderful New York facade and marquee of the Palace. It had all the glamour and brilliance of a New York jewel. Now it is just another generic attempting to be snazzy might as well be a theme restaurant front.
Even though I came at the depressing tail end of the roadshow era(Fiddler and Nicky and Alex) I don’t remember any free programs or leaflets being handed out. Only programs for sale. Anybody out there who went often in the 50’s and 60’s remember free programs in the NY theaters for hardticket engagements?
What I don’t understand is they only do two months. What are they asking for that Cablevision won’t give them?
What does a virtual orchestra consist of? Are these musicians scabs on tape? Or is it done with synthesizers? What about the organists? Are they a different union? Will they play? Are they then crossing the picket line if they do? Is then every performer then crossing that line?
So will there be a Christmas show this year? Just curious. Not that I really care. With the show as it is now they could just as well have wet t shirt contests for the Rockettes four times a day for two months and it would be just as reverent and probably a lot more entertaining. And Chase you’d make a helluva lot more money. Just think of the beer tabs sold throught the house!
I believe this theater had the north Jersey premiere of Thoroughly Modern Millie on roadshow. Amazing to think that Montclair NJ had 3 classy roadshow houses with large screens. Now there isn’t even one in the entire tri state area.
I guess for the Rodgers it would be Words and Music(Christmas ‘48) and Flower Drum Song(Thanksgiving '61.)
Anybody know of any other Music Hall movies with Rodgers music?
I see that Chase now has its name on the marquee, albeit somewhat discreetly. The Chase Radio City Music Hall? Why not if we could get them to sponsor an Astaire/Rodgers or MGM summer festival. Though I wonder if any of the 30 year olds who work for Chase have ever heard of Astaire and Rodgers. Or RKO. Ok how about an Adam Sandler or Ben Stiller festival?
BOB
Amazing that you went to see Cleo in Boston. Though I imagine I would have done the same at the time had I been able to. I would have even flown to London to see Lawrence at the Odeon Leicester, MFLady at the Warner Leicester and SOM at the Dominion just to see how these big movies were presented at the various roadshow houses. Also just imagine who you would have been able to see on stage there!
Oh yes, and then to Paris for Cinerama.
That makes the musicians of ‘67 look even worse. The Rockettes can dance to a recording but who wants to hear these musicians without the Rockettes at Christmas? By the way orchestras today are so miked with the sound pumped up it might as well be a recording. The magic is gone.
During ‘67 when the Rockettes went on strike the musicians played. Maybe somebody out there with a knowledge of entertainers union history in New York can shed light on solidarity amoung the unions.
I always thought that the run at the Royale wasn’t all that long and Gigi had to leave due to the booking of a legit show. It however would have been beautiful at the Hall and considering that the Royale is fairly small and the booking exclusive(I don’t believe it played on Long Island or in North Jersey) the crowds would have been tremendous. Millie though was playing in Monclair(any Long island booking?) concurrently with the Criterion run so that would have been a problem.
Sweet Charity, Goodby Mr. Chips and Song of Norway only played a few months on Broadway(probably to not many patrons) so they too would have been good at the Hall.
I thought that Gigi had that title-a film that should have gone to the Music Hall rather than the Sutton(Millie is another one.)
I imagine that film historians today have never seen Les Girls or Gigi and have no interest whatsoever.
Yet they will write books on Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer. Cool!
Thanks Warren.
As I’ve said before I only wish the Music Hall had followed this policy in the late 60’s as there were a number of films they could have shown after their Times Square reserved seat runs(which were pretty short in any case.)The kinds of films which would have brought crowds to the Hall even after their first run engagements.
Considering the muck the Hall was showing from 67 to 70 it made no sense to hold onto a policy which it had never enforced in the first place.
Did Lost Horizon play at the Hall? I always thought it opened in Times Square as a hardticket(perhaps the Globe?)Was it a move over to the Hall? In a 1938 Music Hall souvenir book it is shown as one of the films to have played there.
If so I didn’t realize it was playing second run films that late.
Looking at both the upcoming schedules for Film Forum and Loew’s Jersey they are showing fewer and fewer classic Hollywood films and more and more cult movies which is especially unfortunate for the Loew’s. The Monty Python film recently had a run in Manhattan and Strangelove is shown fairly regularly. Is there no more audience for the great old studio product? (The upcoming Godzilla and Red Death should be good but they showed the Abbott and Costello film a year or two ago.)
I happen to love Journal Square finding it a still fairly intact mid 20th century downtown. Does another exist in this country? I hope it remains seedy and rundown so it retains it’s character otherwise I will avoid it as I do Times Square.
The one blot and it is a doozy is the Path Station. The very sight of it will cause you physical pain.
There is some early 30’s MGM Joan Crawford film with George Montgomery I believe where an unwanted suitor keeps trying to get Joan to see the new million dollar picture at the Capitol. Anybody know which film this is?
C at Law is a terrific early talkie melodrama with not only a wonderful J Barrymore but a heartbreaking Bebe Daniels as well. Have seen it twice at Film Forum. Wait till they show it again.
A perfect Music Hall picture.
Robert it would be wonderful if you could post the opening ads which are so much more entertaining and colorful with a PR description of the stage show.
Concerning musicians. They are always very unhappy people who always feel unappreciated and always cause tons of problems for the Met the City Ballet and Broadway. Not only do they make a more than decent salary compared to us plebes but they in addition always get pick up gigs and give lessons for pocket money. I always think they have a major chip on their shoulder considering they are not on the stage as performers(and they all probably feel they should be playing for Vienna or Berlin.)
What a tiresome troublemaking bunch.
I believe Zhivago world premiered at the Capitol. I remember reading somewhere that Lean said the film bombed initially because of the awful reviews and you could throw stones in the theater without hitting anyone. But if I remember correctly from looking at old Varietys in the library it was a sellout from day one. Maybe someone could confirm this?
Lean was out his mind not to have filmed this in 70mm.
Outide of the Christmas show when is the organ played? Also Geoffrey what are the years you are talking about with a 99 cents admission.
The early 60’s?
Are these places really Cinema Treasures? More like Cinema Bomb Shelters. I’d rather go buy a DVD.
By the way people were extolling The Producers as a possible holiday film(my personal learned opinion would be yuck)but the new Zorro seems like it would have been a nice choice. The right star power, costumes, set design and rating. Sight unseen it might have complemented very nicely a Leonidoff or Markert Christmas show.
Well allow me my dreams.
Was there a Thanksgiving film in ‘57 or did Pajama game as an end of summer film run long enough so that Les Girls played until December and there was in effect only one fall film?
I wonder if the Hall got complaints from parents concerning Sayanora as a Christmas film I mean not only the sex and suicide but miscnegation as well. But then I believe that Peyton Place was the Roxy Christmas attraction.
Good post however I do take issue with the developer completely obliterating the wonderful New York facade and marquee of the Palace. It had all the glamour and brilliance of a New York jewel. Now it is just another generic attempting to be snazzy might as well be a theme restaurant front.
Even though I came at the depressing tail end of the roadshow era(Fiddler and Nicky and Alex) I don’t remember any free programs or leaflets being handed out. Only programs for sale. Anybody out there who went often in the 50’s and 60’s remember free programs in the NY theaters for hardticket engagements?
What I don’t understand is they only do two months. What are they asking for that Cablevision won’t give them?
What does a virtual orchestra consist of? Are these musicians scabs on tape? Or is it done with synthesizers? What about the organists? Are they a different union? Will they play? Are they then crossing the picket line if they do? Is then every performer then crossing that line?
So will there be a Christmas show this year? Just curious. Not that I really care. With the show as it is now they could just as well have wet t shirt contests for the Rockettes four times a day for two months and it would be just as reverent and probably a lot more entertaining. And Chase you’d make a helluva lot more money. Just think of the beer tabs sold throught the house!
I believe this theater had the north Jersey premiere of Thoroughly Modern Millie on roadshow. Amazing to think that Montclair NJ had 3 classy roadshow houses with large screens. Now there isn’t even one in the entire tri state area.
I guess for the Rodgers it would be Words and Music(Christmas ‘48) and Flower Drum Song(Thanksgiving '61.)
Anybody know of any other Music Hall movies with Rodgers music?
I see that Chase now has its name on the marquee, albeit somewhat discreetly. The Chase Radio City Music Hall? Why not if we could get them to sponsor an Astaire/Rodgers or MGM summer festival. Though I wonder if any of the 30 year olds who work for Chase have ever heard of Astaire and Rodgers. Or RKO. Ok how about an Adam Sandler or Ben Stiller festival?
BOB
Amazing that you went to see Cleo in Boston. Though I imagine I would have done the same at the time had I been able to. I would have even flown to London to see Lawrence at the Odeon Leicester, MFLady at the Warner Leicester and SOM at the Dominion just to see how these big movies were presented at the various roadshow houses. Also just imagine who you would have been able to see on stage there!
Oh yes, and then to Paris for Cinerama.
That makes the musicians of ‘67 look even worse. The Rockettes can dance to a recording but who wants to hear these musicians without the Rockettes at Christmas? By the way orchestras today are so miked with the sound pumped up it might as well be a recording. The magic is gone.
During ‘67 when the Rockettes went on strike the musicians played. Maybe somebody out there with a knowledge of entertainers union history in New York can shed light on solidarity amoung the unions.
I always thought that the run at the Royale wasn’t all that long and Gigi had to leave due to the booking of a legit show. It however would have been beautiful at the Hall and considering that the Royale is fairly small and the booking exclusive(I don’t believe it played on Long Island or in North Jersey) the crowds would have been tremendous. Millie though was playing in Monclair(any Long island booking?) concurrently with the Criterion run so that would have been a problem.
Sweet Charity, Goodby Mr. Chips and Song of Norway only played a few months on Broadway(probably to not many patrons) so they too would have been good at the Hall.
I thought that Gigi had that title-a film that should have gone to the Music Hall rather than the Sutton(Millie is another one.)
I imagine that film historians today have never seen Les Girls or Gigi and have no interest whatsoever.
Yet they will write books on Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer. Cool!
Thanks Warren.
As I’ve said before I only wish the Music Hall had followed this policy in the late 60’s as there were a number of films they could have shown after their Times Square reserved seat runs(which were pretty short in any case.)The kinds of films which would have brought crowds to the Hall even after their first run engagements.
Considering the muck the Hall was showing from 67 to 70 it made no sense to hold onto a policy which it had never enforced in the first place.
Did Lost Horizon play at the Hall? I always thought it opened in Times Square as a hardticket(perhaps the Globe?)Was it a move over to the Hall? In a 1938 Music Hall souvenir book it is shown as one of the films to have played there.
If so I didn’t realize it was playing second run films that late.
Looking at both the upcoming schedules for Film Forum and Loew’s Jersey they are showing fewer and fewer classic Hollywood films and more and more cult movies which is especially unfortunate for the Loew’s. The Monty Python film recently had a run in Manhattan and Strangelove is shown fairly regularly. Is there no more audience for the great old studio product? (The upcoming Godzilla and Red Death should be good but they showed the Abbott and Costello film a year or two ago.)
I happen to love Journal Square finding it a still fairly intact mid 20th century downtown. Does another exist in this country? I hope it remains seedy and rundown so it retains it’s character otherwise I will avoid it as I do Times Square.
The one blot and it is a doozy is the Path Station. The very sight of it will cause you physical pain.
There is some early 30’s MGM Joan Crawford film with George Montgomery I believe where an unwanted suitor keeps trying to get Joan to see the new million dollar picture at the Capitol. Anybody know which film this is?
C at Law is a terrific early talkie melodrama with not only a wonderful J Barrymore but a heartbreaking Bebe Daniels as well. Have seen it twice at Film Forum. Wait till they show it again.
A perfect Music Hall picture.
Robert it would be wonderful if you could post the opening ads which are so much more entertaining and colorful with a PR description of the stage show.
Concerning musicians. They are always very unhappy people who always feel unappreciated and always cause tons of problems for the Met the City Ballet and Broadway. Not only do they make a more than decent salary compared to us plebes but they in addition always get pick up gigs and give lessons for pocket money. I always think they have a major chip on their shoulder considering they are not on the stage as performers(and they all probably feel they should be playing for Vienna or Berlin.)
What a tiresome troublemaking bunch.
Warren that was a wicked thing to say.
Moviejoemovies
I hope you got to see those movies at those theaters, I sure would have loved to.
I believe Zhivago world premiered at the Capitol. I remember reading somewhere that Lean said the film bombed initially because of the awful reviews and you could throw stones in the theater without hitting anyone. But if I remember correctly from looking at old Varietys in the library it was a sellout from day one. Maybe someone could confirm this?
Lean was out his mind not to have filmed this in 70mm.